For Introduction to Forensic Science courses offered by Forensic Science or Criminal Justice programs. Written by a renowned authority on forensic science, this text introduces the non-scientific student to the field of forensic science through an exploration of its applications to criminal investigations, and clear explanations of the techniques, abilities and limitations of the modern crime laboratory.

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From the Publisher:

Authoritative and up-to-date, this exploration of the applications of forensic science to criminal investigation explains the techniques, skills, and limitations of the modern crime laboratory -- for those new to the forensic sciences.

From the Back Cover:

This manual provides valid, approved methods of analysis for physical evidence encountered when processing crime scenes or in association with crime victims and suspects. All procedures are presented in a format which allow understanding by all readers. Technical language is also kept to a minimum to facilitate understanding by all readers.Containing a minimum of chemical terms, equations, and formulas, this manual presents a variety of valid crime lab analysis techniques, from historical to modern. The manual introduces each experiment with a simulated crime situation and the appropriate analysis technique for that scenario. It provides a brief summary of chemical principles related to each experiment. And, it also references historical and modern journal articles that give additional information related to each experiment. The sixth edition of Lab Manual for Criminalistics has been revised to include simulations of DNA profiling procedures and forensic applications for casting wax.An essential reference for anyone involved in criminal prosecutions, especially defense attorneys.